Ballyglass Lighthouse Keepers Cottage

Date: Sunday 08 October

Time: 15:00

Location: Ballyglass Lighthouse, Ballyglass  

Accessibility: There is level access on the exterior but not to the interiors; the ground is also rough with some cobbles

Please wear closed-toe shoes. Tour duration - 60 minutes.

Prebooking is advised as spaces are limited [Book HERE]

Summary

Architect - guided tour with Mark Stephens MRIAI, Architect Accredited in Conservation at Ballyglass Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, Ballyglass, County Mayo. Adjacent to Ballyglass Lighthouse at Gubbacashel Point, the tour will focus on the history of the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, and the approach and methodologies employed to realise the restoration of the structure.

About

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Mayo County Council’s Architectural Conservation Office supports works to promote the repair and re-use of historic structures.

Mark Stephens, MRIAI Architect, Accredited in Conservation at Grade 3 will discuss his approach to the conservation repair and restoration of the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 sets out a roadmap for Ireland’s transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich and climate neutral economy. This shift to a climate neutral future means that the conservation and repurposing of existing historic building stock has become increasingly more important. Increased maintenance and repair will be key to building resilience in our historic buildings to enable them to withstand the effects of a changing environment.

Ripple Paradise Garden Tour

Date  Sunday 08 October

Time 2 - 3pm

Location Ripple Paradise Garden – Greenhills Estate, Ballina Co. Mayo

Not fully accessible – some uneven paths and grass to cross to get to the garden

Link to location / View on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Dov2A7nCm7DX6Xyv8

Summary

Visit Greenhills’ Paradise Garden – a climate friendly intergenerational amenity space that was co-designed and built during the Ripple project funded by Creative Ireland.

This event is FREE and open to the public. There is no booking required, but places are limited and will operate on a first come first serve basis. 

Event Organiser: UCD Centre for Irish Towns (https://www.ucd.ie/cfit/)

About

Public green spaces, common in housing estates throughout Ireland, represent a significant untapped resource for climate action, through their potential transformation as water resilient, productive and socially cohesive public spaces.

Ripple was one of fifteen projects supported by the first Creative Ireland Climate Action Call. UCD Centre for Irish Towns was the lead applicant in collaboration with Ballina Green Towns, artist Ríonach Ní Néill, and a local community in Greenhills Estate, Ballina. 

In this session we invite you to visit Greenhills' Paradise Garden - the climate friendly intergenerational amenity space that was co-designed and built during the Ripple project. It is a haven for wildlife, provides nature based play, and crucially slows rainwater through a series of rills, wells and natural attenuation features on its way to the river.

Blacksod Architecture Tour

Date: Saturday 07 October

Time: 12 noon

Location: Blacksod Lighthouse

Restricted Accessibility – Stepped access to historic Lighthouse

Event

Designed and constructed by the biggest names in 18th Century engineering, Blacksod Lighthouse, Keepers’ Dwellings, Coastguard Station, Boathouse and Pier are remarkable components of our maritime architectural heritage.

Event Organiser: CFID Eachléim, Blacksod Lighthouse Tours

About

We don’t shout about this enough, but Blacksod is pretty special in the world of architecture and engineering. With world famous engineers designing and overseeing the construction of our pier and lighthouse, we were at the cutting edge of innovation in the late 1800s. With plans afoot to connect London to the USA and the Caribbean via Blacksod Pier, our little village was at the centre of the world back then.

To bring these facts to light, we delved into the history books to examine the past of Blacksod Lighthouse from an architectural angle. Join us on a fascinating architecture-based tour. Learn the rich history of this protected building, the connections between the lighthouse and its landscape, and the many world-renown characters involved in its construction. Hear tales of huge projects undertaken by Nimmo, Bald & Co. and learn about the proposed ‘All Red Route’ land connection linking Blacksod to London. See the state-of-the-art Fresnel Lens up close, installed in June 1866 and still in operation today!

Supported by CFID Eachléim

The Moy Catchment Area Geodesign Project

Date: Friday 06 October

Time: 19:00, Duration 1h.

Location: The Coach House at the Mary Robinson Centre, Ballina 

Summary

In the context of the Global Climate Geodesign Challenge, more than 50 local groups worldwide will collaboratively employ shared methods and tools to create climate-oriented actions. An Irish team, including University College Dublin, Mayo County Council, and stakeholders, will envision a sustainable future for the Moy Catchment area using geospatial tools.

This event is FREE and open to the public. There is no booking required, but places are limited and will operate on a first come first serve basis. 

Event Organiser University College Dublin

About

How can we collaboratively create climate-oriented design actions, organize them into various alternative design scenarios, assess their impacts on carbon emissions and sequestration, and negotiate the final design among the public and decision-makers? 

More than 50 local groups from around the world have actively joined the Global Climate Geodesign Challenge, embarking on the creation of local designs guided by a shared framework that combines sketching methods, numerical analysis, and consensus-based decision-making. Initiated by the International Geodesign collaboration, this project brings together local authorities, researchers, and communities. They will collaboratively work to design climate action interventions with the aim of significantly reducing emissions and enhancing carbon sinks by 2050, thereby reversing atmospheric carbon accumulation.

University College Dublin is currently in the process of creating a local interest group as part of this initiative. The team includes Mayo County Council, master's students in Architecture, and a range of stakeholders. Together, they will proactively tackle climate change, pooling their expertise to construct a strategic vision for the Moy Catchment Area. Geodesign methods, geospatial modelling and map-based tools will be used to support group work and collaborative tasks.

The Mary Robinson Centre is a Centre for Change - a focal point for schools, the Irish public and for tourists to see and understand Mary’s legacy, located in Ballina, Co. Mayo in the childhood home of the former President. It will address the key themes and issues of Mary Robinson’s legacy as an influential world leader from the West of Ireland, including climate change, human rights, equality and women in leadership.

GreenRoofCraft Workshop:
Designing nature-based solutions in Minecraft

Date: Friday 06 October

Time: 13:30 -15:00

Duration: 1.5hr

Location: Breaffy NS, Ballina, County Mayo

Summary

In an era where digital engagement is a prominent aspect of youth culture, the GreenRoof Craft workshop bridges the virtual realm of Minecraft with nature-based solutions. This playful activity invites players to collaboratively reshape urban areas into climate resilient landscapes.

 Event Organiser: University College Dublin 

Dr Ítalo de Sena is a postdoctoral researcher at UCD School Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy. His research relies on the combination of geospatial data and digital games, investigating applications in education, geodesign, urban and landscape planning, geoconservation and community engagement.

Dr Chiara Cocco is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Digital Technologies and Environmental Design at UCD School Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy. Her research mainly focuses on the use of digital technologies for citizen engagement in the observation, interpretation and co-design of their place and local issues. She is an expert in the development of geodesign methods to support co-design processes.

Dr Micael de Sousa is a postdoctoral researcher at UCD School Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy. With expertise in spatial planning (University of Coimbra, Portugal), he is the creator of several serious games, including those that supported the UrbSecurity project (Urbact) to foster collaborative planning dynamics with the local community.

About

Climate change and sustainability are increasingly being integrated as transdisciplinary subjects in formal and informal learning. However, effectively communicating the intricacies of these topics presents challenges in adapting complex concepts to young people. Recognizing the popularity and playful game mechanics of Minecraft, the GreenRoof Craft workshop was designed to introduce the concept of green roofs and nature-based solutions to young people. Through the manipulation of blocks and items, players can develop a deep comprehension of the intricacies of environmental systems, ultimately fostering the communication of key concepts and promoting a greater awareness of the importance of sustainability.

The workshop presents these concepts and invites players to join the virtual world to explore ways to transform urban landscapes. In addition, round table discussions are facilitated with the support of a board game created to foster engagement and negotiation.

Supported by

https://heritact.eu/

Restoration Tour of Westport House

Date: Wednesday 04 October

Time: 2pm tour – Duration 45 mins

Location: Westport House

Accessibility: Level access. Fully accessible throughout the ground floor. etc. – we have 18 steps to the entrance of the House

Summary

A tour describing the architecture of Westport House - the current restoration and plans for the House and the Estate.

Event Organiser: Kathryn Connolly

About

Westport House was built for John Browne, first Earl of Altamont, to a design (1731) by Richard Castle on the site of the earlier O’Malley tower house in the picturesque landscape of Clew Bay.

Other distinguished architects involved in the later improvement of the house included Thomas Ivory, who significantly extended the house as a quadrangle around an open courtyard. 

In the 1780s, James Wyatt redesigned the interior of the house, and the north and south wings were added by his son Benjamin Dean Wyatt in 1819. Subsequently, the open courtyard was reconfigured to include an impressive staircase hall to a design (1857-9) by George Wilkinson, featuring an elegant Imperial staircase of fine Sicilian marble and cast ironwork supplied by Francis Skidmore of Coventry.

Fragments of Change at Enniscoe House

Date : Tuesday 03 October

Time: 11.30 am

Location Enniscoe House, Castlehill, Ballina, Co Mayo. F26 EA34

Link to location / View on Google Maps https://goo.gl/maps/aN96nb2phrGNtq1i6

Accessibility: Tour will take in parts of the house not usually accessible to the public. Some steep stairs and awkward turns.

Event Organiser: Susan Kellett

Summary

Material Mapping of Architectural Features; A guided tour and talk about the architecture of Enniscoe House and the changes that have taken place over the years.

About

Enniscoe House appears to be a classic Irish Georgian country house of the middle size. An older house, described as a fortified house (c.1740-1750) is perfectly preserved within the later house, completed in 1798. Retaining significant interior features it represents an important component of the domestic built heritage of north County Mayo confirmed by such attributes as the Classical-style chimneypieces; silk wallpaper of Adamesque design; and delicate plasterwork enrichments. The tour will provide access to interior fragments of change and architectural features.